WE DO NOT RECOMMEND FOR ANY ITEMS TOTALING ABOVE $25.00 BE SENT VIA USPS. ANY ITEM SENT VIA USPS TOTALING OVER $25.00 WILL BE CHARGED AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR INSURANCE.

A Proud Legacy of Craftmanship

Holick was born in 1868 in Moravia which became part of Czechoslovakia after WWI. His main interest was in music which his parents considered frivolous so they sent him to cobbler school in Vienna, This was during the era of Strauss waltzes. Grampa told me he missed several classes to attend concerts of Johann Strauss in the park. When he returned home he was still hassling with his parents over his not wanting to be a shoemaker. By then at least two of his four brothers had left for America so young Joseph, only 16 years old stowed away on a steamer headed for America and the romaticized life of a rugged cowboy.

After several failed attempts at bronc busting and tired of cleaning stalls he hopped a freight train headed for Orange Texas and the salt grass trail. He fell asleep while the train was side- tracked and disconnected in Bryan and woke up stranded and penniless. Within a few days he had a part time job as a shoemaker in Bryan and another job as a shoemaker and bugler working in his dorm room at Texas A&M College.

His interest and talent as a musician attracted other musician to gather in his room. After a few months he approached the military college with the idea of a military band which was established and funded by the Texas State Guard and all 12 members wore the Texas Guard uniform. Joseph was the first Aggie band master and served as band master intermittently for many years. Names of other interim bandmasters: North, Day and Dunn appear as names of streets which intersect Holick Lane in the area which was once his farm.

He continued making and repairing the short lace-up boots, but established his own business near what is now the intersection of Church street and Wellborn Road. The tall Aggie Boot, the way it looks now, was not a part of the A&M cadet uniform until the late 20's and was fashioned after the US Cavalry "Rough Riders" boots. By then Holick and Sons had moved to the brick building at 106 College Main.

The Holick's nametags and insignia business was started by Johnnie Holick around 1950 while his brother was on flight status at Bryan Air Force Base. Johnnie hand tooled a leather nametag from some scrap leather at the boot shop. Flight personnel travel so word-of-mouth spread fast. Johnnie actually invented the clear vinyl pocket which held the nametags on the flightsuits before the advent of velcro. Meanwhile he invented and long held the patent for the lamination process to make laundryproof rank insignia and nametags which really caught on when the velcro came on the market.

Over the years Holick's has made nametags for presidents, chiefs of staff, astronauts and visiting dignitaries.

WE DO NOT RECOMMEND FOR ANY ITEMS TOTALING ABOVE $25.00 BE SENT VIA USPS. ANY ITEM SENT VIA USPS TOTALING OVER $25.00 WILL BE CHARGED AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR INSURANCE.